Puerto Rican Coffee Heritage: How 787 Coffee Preserves Island Traditions
Let’s Connect on Social
Hello Beautiful Humans!
We are so proud that in the past months we have been able to introduce single origin specialty coffee from Mexico and Columbia, but we assure YOU, all of our caffeinated community that our roots, souls, and who we are is PUERTO RICO. If you’ve visited a 787 Coffee shop, Ya Tú Sabes. (you already know) the pride and representation we have for our island.
We want to take a deep dive into the history and culture of where it all began. A dream come true that has grown to transform and touch the lives of some of the happiest, warmest, and most caring humans in the world. This story is a tribute to the generations of heroes, families, and communities who have shaped Puerto Rico, carrying its essence through its beautiful flavor in every coffee cherry, and passing it forward to the future. Puerto Rico pa’l mundo (“Puerto Rico to the world”).
-Let’s do this
Planting the First Seed
It begins with a seed, planted in the misty mountains of Puerto Rico. In the late 1700s, coffee crossed the Atlantic with Spanish settlers, finding its new home in volcanic soil rich with minerals. The earth embraced it like an old friend. Soon, coffee trees rose along the hillsides, their white blossoms perfuming the air with a fragrance that would become part of Puerto Rico’s very identity.
By the 19th century, Puerto Rican coffee was among the most sought-after in Europe. Gracing the tables of kings, popes, and aristocrats. But its real kingdom was here, in the hands of the jíbaro farmers, (rural mountain farmer) who tended these first coffee trees. With calloused hands cultivated a way of life. This was an art passed down through generations, with every family knowing exactly when a cherry was ripe enough to pick, how to dry it under the sun, and how to roast it over an open flame until the aroma filled the whole valley.
Coffee became the center of Puerto Rican life. At dawn, families gathered in the bohío (a simple wooden home) while the kettle rested over a wood fire. The brew passed slowly through the colador (traditionally cloth sock-style filter held by a wooden handle), darkening until it held the strength of the mountains themselves. Sweetened with raw sugar cane and sometimes a splash of milk from the family cow, it was poured into tin cups that warmed cold hands.
Neighbors would arrive unannounced, bringing fresh bread, sharing town gossip, or exchanging news from the coast. Morning cafecito became a sacred ritual, a pause in the day to connect, to laugh, to share burdens, to love. Coffee was there after long days in the fields, during weddings, after Sunday church, and on rainy afternoons when the hills disappeared into mist. It marked the memory of the story of our ancestors in every sip. a living link between Puerto Rico’s fertile land and the humans who call it home.
At our farm in Hacienda Iluminada, we honor that history every single day. Our coffee still grows in the same mountain air, rooted in the same volcanic soil, and cultivated with the same love our ancestors showed. Every specialty coffee cup is a continuation of a story that began centuries ago, with the hardworking hands that cared for it, and the generations that refuse to let it fade.
Honor Puerto Rican heritage straight from our farm in Hacienda Iluminada! our Supremo Coffee bag is hand picked ready to deliver to your door, order now! link below
Through Storms and Triumphs
By the mid-1800s, Puerto Rican coffee was a crown jewel. Shipments left San Juan bound for Europe, where its exotic smooth, tropical flavors earned a place on the tables of kings and popes. For the jíbaro farmers in the mountains, this was a quiet victory. Every shipment of coffee beans represented the contribution of our island heritage, carried from the highest mountain tops to the farthest corners of the world.
But history, like the weather, changed in an instant. In 1898, a new chapter began when the United States took administrative control of Puerto Rico following the Spanish-American War. This shift brought changes in governance, economy, and trade that would influence the island’s coffee industry for decades to come , the Puerto Ricos economy shifted. New trade policies and foreign markets altered the flow of coffee’s journey. Hurricanes roared through the hills, bending the shade trees and tearing coffee cherries from their branches. Fields that once glowed green were left bare and silent.
When the Great Depression hit in the 1930s, scarcity touched every household. Yet, in the heart of each bohío (the humble wooden houses of Puerto Rico’s countryside) the ritual continued. In these homes, built by hand from local timber, mornings began with the gentle ritual of the colador. Hot water was poured over freshly ground coffee, slowly dripping through the cloth filter into a pot. The sound of the water, the rich aroma filling the kitchen, and the act of serving each cup became as much a part of life as the drink itself.
Families gathered around this shared moment as they had for generations, tin cups warming their hands. In the quiet steam. More than comfort, they found a reminder that Puerto Rican identity lives in resilience, in the strength to adapt, and the grace to endure through change.
For Puerto Rico coffee is a survivor’s companion. In grand haciendas and mountain homes alike, it reminded Puerto Ricans that even when the winds raged, the soil still held life, the trees still bloomed, and the morning would always return.
If you want to experience the traditions of specialty Puerto Rican coffee book a tour today! link below
Preserving the Old Ways in a Modern World
Fast-forward to today, and Puerto Rico has grown and changed in countless ways. We are pioneers in music , with artists like Bad Bunny turning the global spotlight on our island, his residency bringing more tourism and economic growth than any political reform in our history. In sports, Olympic gold medalist Jasmine Camacho-Quinn made history in the 100-meter hurdles at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, carrying our flag to the world stage and proving Puerto Rican talent knows no limits.
You see the streets of New York City, block to block, painted in a sea of flags representing our home. So much has transformed, yet the essence of our coffee traditions remains untouched. At 787 Coffee, we walk the same mountains our ancestors did, tending to coffee trees with the same care they did generations ago. The cherries are still hand-picked at peak ripeness, still shade-grown beneath protective canopies, still processed with patience and the same practices that give YOU the freshest farm-to-cup experience.
When Hurricane María devastated Puerto Rico in 2017, like many farms were lost Hacienda Iluminada was devastated… but we rebuilt, replanting each tree with determination. That storm didn’t just test our land; it tested our spirit. We came back stronger, not just for ourselves, but for the farmers, families, and culture that Puerto Rican coffee sustains.
Our name, 787, represents Puerto Rico’s area code, but it is more than that. It’s our promise to bring the flavor, beauty, and grace that Puerto Rican specialty coffee is known for to the world. Every coffee bag we roast and every specialty coffee cup we pour carries the tradition forward, from the high mountains of Maricao to YOUr hands, keeping alive the resilience, warmth, and heritage that define our island.
We want to carry Puerto Ricos story and be part of its beautiful book. Each step, from farm-to-cup, is a chapter in Puerto Rico’s history, a bridge between generations, and a gift to the next one.
For more 787 coffee content, subscribe to our YouTube channel! link below
Subscribe Single Origin Specialty Coffee Beans
The journey from our farm to your cup is a legacy. We hand-select every Puerto Rican coffee bean from the highest mountains of Maricao, where the unique microclimate and volcanic soil infuse each coffee cherry with an unforgettable flavor.
Unlike blends, our single origin coffee. coffee is a true expression of Puerto Rico. From the moment the ripe cherries are plucked, sun-dried, and freshly roasted by our roasting professionals, they carry with them the unique taste of our land with dark chocolate, grape fruit, and buttery notes. When you make our coffee at home, you're experiencing the authentic taste of Puerto Rico.
Ready to elevate you experience by Buying coffee beans online from 787 Coffee and get the highest quality, freshly roasted coffee delivered directly to your door. Join our community of coffee lovers and discover the rich, complex flavors of our specialty coffee beans. that also include Mexican and Columbian single origins.
Bring the heart of our farm into your home. Subscribe today to receive fresh-roasted Puerto Rican coffee delivered monthly, and never run out of the taste, history, and heart.
Shop our collection of single origin coffee bags now!
Taste the History, Share the Moment
Puerto Rican coffee heritage is a living, breathing story that has been told for over 200 years through the aroma in our coffee shops, the warmth of a shared WOW lattes, and the quiet moments between sips. Born from volcanic soil, nurtured by mountain rains, and harvested by hardworking hands that have worked the lands for generations, our coffee carries the soul of Puerto Rico in every specialty coffee bean.
At 787 Coffee, we’re inviting you to become part of it. Every cup of coffee is a connection to the jíbaro farmers who first tended these trees, the families who kept the tradition alive through storms and hardship, and the community that still celebrates coffee as a daily ritual.
Bring home 5 lbs of our single-origin specialty coffee from Puerto Rico and taste history in its purest form that is rich, smooth, and grown with love. Make it for yourself, share it with friends, and let every sip be a tribute to the island and people that made it possible.
Order your 5 lbs today and drink in the history.
To summarize…
If you're after the best coffee shop in NYC, El Paso, Puerto Rico, Westfield NJ and soon in Houston, TX for back-to-school success, and want to buy coffee online that's fresh, sustainable, and full of flavor—look no further than 787 Coffee. We're student-friendly, community-focused, and coffee-obsessed.
Ready to crush your school year? Visit one of our amazing coffee shops, or start powering up your brain by ordering our whole bean coffee and ground coffee at 787coffee.com today!
Let’s do this!
Be a CAFFEINATED HUMAN.
Be a creative human. Be a good human.
Be a NuevaYOL Caffeinated Human.
So here’s your invitation—to live fully, love deeply, and drink damn good coffee while you’re at it.
When you visit Puerto Rico, make sure one of your must-do experiences is exploring Hacienda Iluminada, our award-winning coffee farm in Maricao. It’s more than a farm—it’s the birthplace of 787 Coffee and the heart of everything we do. Come walk the rows of coffee trees, sip coffee roasted just steps from where it was grown, meet our animals, reconnect with nature, and learn the real story behind your daily cup. We started as coffee farmers with nothing but a dream and a machete. And when your vision is clear and you're aligned with love and purpose—everything else follows.
Let your next cup be more than caffeine. Let it be a reminder to slow down, breathe deeply, and enjoy life.
Hacienda Iluminada isn’t just one of the best coffee farms in Puerto Rico—it’s where passion meets purpose, and where your coffee journey comes full circle.
☕ Visit Hacienda Iluminada – Puerto Rico’s Must-See Coffee Experience
Gracias. Gracias. Gracias for supporting 787 Coffee, we have a job because of humans like YOU.